Main story · Contain the Crisis

Return to the Oldest House with Zoe

The House in Distress

Oldest House · Main story #8

Return to the Oldest House, meet Zoe at Executive Research and follow the Fault. Midway the mission checks whether you finished The Underpass Fault, then you restore power, solve three Power Core patterns, clear Director Training and enter the Fault to reach Jesse.

Find my current step

Oldest House
Underpass Fault required midway
3 Power Core tests

Current stepPhase 1 of 8

Return to the Oldest House1
Meet Zoe2
Locate the Fault3
Restore emergency power4
Electrokinesis Test5
Director Training6
Main Test Chamber7
Complete the Ritual8

Phases are states, not a checklist. Track the one you are in and the page keeps your resume point.

Can you continue this quest right now?

Recursions and Iterations✓ Complete
Start requirement
The Underpass Fault○ Not complete
Mid-quest requirement

Result

You can start The House in Distress, but you will be blocked before entering the Oldest House Fault.

Complete The Underpass Fault

The Underpass Fault is not a start requirement. It is a mid-quest gate that blocks the Fault chain until it is done.

In-game objectives

Meet Zoe at Executive Research
Locate the Fault
Reach the Oldest House Fault
Complete the Ritual

The journal only lists four objectives. The page breaks them into eight states so you can find exactly where you are.

Quest at a glance

Questline: Contain the Crisis
Previous: Recursions and Iterations
Main area: Oldest House
Meet: Zoe
Mid-quest gate: The Underpass Fault
Main puzzle: Electrokinesis Test
Puzzle count: 3 patterns
Major combat: Director Training
Finale: Oldest House Fault
Reward: Living Shard
Achievement: Sibling Reunion
Next: The Hedron Link

Quest state navigator

Find the phase you are in, then follow that section. Eight states replace the four journal objectives.

Return to the Oldest House

Head back to the Oldest House and climb to Executive Research and Prime Candidate Testing.

You are here

Route

Enter the Oldest House lobby
Take the upper elevator
Cross the large combat room
Take the lower south elevator
Reach Executive Research and Prime Candidate Testing

Landmark

Oldest House lobby and upper elevator

If you are stuck

The route changes for this mission. Use the lobby elevator instead of the path you used on your first visit.

Journal objectives

Meet Zoe at Executive Research

Returning to the Oldest House

This is not the same route as your earlier visit. Use the lobby elevator to reach Executive Research.

Meet Zoe

Zoe waits at Prime Candidate Testing, near Dylan's old containment area.

Route

Reach Prime Candidate Testing
Talk to Zoe
Follow her to Main Observation
Watch the briefing

Landmark

Prime Candidate Testing entrance

If you are stuck

Can't find Zoe? She stands at the Prime Candidate Testing entrance, near Dylan's old containment area.

Journal objectives

Meet Zoe at Executive Research

More than a story NPC

Zoe also opens the Main Observation and training-area doors, so talking to her is what advances your access.

Executive Research

Executive Research is the upper route. From the lobby take the elevator up and follow the objective marker.

Locate the Fault

From Main Observation the direct door to the Main Test Chamber does not open. The route turns through the Classrooms.

Route

Enter the orientation / video area
Continue to Main Observation
Let Zoe open access
Reach the Main Test Chamber viewing point

Landmark

Main Observation window above the Main Test Chamber

If you are stuck

If the Main Test Chamber door will not open here, that is expected. The route continues through the Classrooms.

Journal objectives

Locate the Fault

Main Observation

Zoe opens the Main Observation doors for you. From here you can only look at the Main Test Chamber — you cannot walk in yet.

The Main Test Chamber door won't open

Expected quest state

That is expected at this stage. The direct route stays blocked until you restore power. Go through the Classrooms to the Interactions Lab.

Mid-quest interruption

The Oldest House Fault is blocked

Complete The Underpass Fault before continuing deeper into Prime Candidate Training.

⚠ Not complete

Why you need it

The Oldest House Fault checks the earlier Fault chain. If Jesse's Underpass Fault is still open, this mission will not let you through.

This is a designed progression gate, not a bug or a softlock.

Complete The Underpass Fault

Resume at

Oldest House
Executive Research
Prime Candidate Testing
Classrooms

The Underpass FaultComplete The Underpass Fault

Restore emergency power

In the Classrooms power room, move a local Charge to open Test Room access.

Route

Enter the power room past the Classrooms
Take Charge from the active east-side Power Core
Power the inactive south-side core

Landmark

Classrooms power room, east active core

If you are stuck

This is a local Charge, not the Recursions remote-charge puzzle. Take it to the south core only.

Journal objectives

Reach the Oldest House Fault

Electrokinesis Test

Three Power Core patterns on a 3×3 grid. The screen switches to the next pattern after each success.

3 patterns

Test 1 · Inverted triangle
Test 2 · Four corners
Test 3 · Middle cross

Director Training

The High Risk Chamber runs a combat encounter before the Main Test Chamber.

Route

Enter the High Risk Chamber
Clear the Director Training encounter
Continue to the Main Test Chamber

Landmark

High Risk Chamber

If you are stuck

If the north route stays closed, clear the remaining enemies. The encounter must finish before the Main Test Chamber opens.

Journal objectives

Reach the Oldest House Fault

Encounter type

Arena / wave combat

Success

North route to the Main Test Chamber unlocks

Need combat help?

Exact enemy composition is not mapped here yet; the page does not guess from nearby encounters.

Builds

Main Test Chamber

In the Main Test Chamber, the Altered TV is the way into the Fault.

Route

Enter the Main Test Chamber
Find the Altered TV
Interact to enter the Oldest House Fault

Landmark

The Altered TV in the Main Test Chamber

If you are stuck

If the TV does not react, an earlier objective is still open. Check the Fault gate, power and Director Training.

Journal objectives

Reach the Oldest House Fault

Find: Altered TV

Interact

Enter the Oldest House Fault

Complete the Ritual

Follow the fractured Fault, use the TV transitions and reach Jesse.

Story spoiler

This section contains story spoilers involving Jesse.

Ritual route hidden

Restore emergency power

One active core feeds one inactive core to open the Test Room.

Active core

East side

Take Charge

Inactive core

South side

Test Room opens

Electrokinesis Test

Schematic of the rule, not a live readout.

Not the Recursions power puzzle. Recursions collects three remote charges for a central hub. Here you move one local charge to unlock the Test Room and the grid patterns.

Electrokinesis Test

Three Power Core patterns on a 3×3 grid. The screen switches to the next pattern after each success.

Orientation: stand facing the 3×3 Power Core grid.

Test 1 of 3

Pattern checker

Tap the slots you have charged. This checker is local to your browser and is never saved in the URL.

Charge
Empty

Test 1

Tap the slots you have charged. This checker is local to your browser and is never saved in the URL.

Each pattern is drawn facing the Power Core wall. The grid's left is your left.

3 / 3 tests complete — power is not restored yet

Do not leave empty-handed. Take two Charges back to Zoe's area to fully restore power.

0/3

Take 2 Charges
Return to Zoe's area
Restore area power

Quest complete

Reward: Living Shard
Achievement: Sibling Reunion
Next main story: The Hedron Link

Continue story

No new traversal ability

This Fault is story progression. Unlike earlier Faults, it does not grant a new movement ability.

Quick diagnosis: I can't reach the Fault

Step 1 of 3

Have you completed The Underpass Fault?